In today’s world of social media and content marketing, authenticity may be hard to find.

So often, marketers today are encouraged to help their brands develop and share content across social media channels that best represents “the authentic voice of the brand.” Is that really happening, however?

Maybe I’m jaded or too familiar with the inner workings of social media marketing, but I felt the whole episode had an inauthentic, contrived tone.

Don’t get wrong. I like Sarah Jessica Parker as much as any other gal who came of age in sync with the successful Sex In the City series, but I was disappointed after viewing her recent social media video interview with Vogue. Something just didn’t feel right about it to me. I questioned Parker’s motives for being interviewed and wondered: does she really want to share aspects of her life and home, or is she primarily concerned with promoting her personal brand and new shoe line, SJP?

What do you think? Do you think that most social media videos being shared today by brands – Sarah Jessica Parker, Vogue, or otherwise – are misleading or inauthentic? And, if yes, do you think these messages seem any more or less authentic, because these messages are being delivered in new digital formats rather than in traditional advertising formats, such as mainstream TV spots?

Do you think video promotions today, in new social media form, are different from the TV ads of yesterday, or, is everything old simply new again? I wish I could ask some Mad men the same question.

Fast times. Fast cars. Fast…you can probably fill in the blank, but would you choose the word, “books,” to do so?

Well, the technology developers at Spritz are banking on the fact that you and hundreds of thousands of others will be interested in reading books in a more quick and efficient way.

Have you heard about Spritz yet? According to its website, the mission of the Boston-based startup is “to change the way people read and make communication faster, easier, and more effective.” The company also states that it is focused on integrating its patent-pending text streaming technology into modern communications, such as websites, videos, photos and maps. The company’s trademarked tagline is: “Reading Reimagined.”

How does Spritz’s technology work? Basically, the text-streaming technology helps you decrease the number of eye movements from word to word and sentence to sentence that you would normally take when participating in traditional reading, saving you time. According to the company, when you are “spritzing” versus reading in the traditional way, you read text one word at a time in a special visual frame called a “redicle.” You can check out Spritz’s video about the science behind their technology to learn more details about how “spritzing” works.

In my opinion, in a time when so many happenings, ideas and people are competing for our limited attention spans, our time is becoming more and more precious, thus more and more valuable. I think time-saving technologies, like Spritz, are coming along at a very opportune moment, and it will be interesting to see the collective consumer response around the globe.

If you visit the company’s website, you can demo the new Spritz technology at the top of the home page or by clicking on the click to Spritz button on the “About Spritz” page. When I tried “spritzing” on the home page, I chose a reading rate of 600wpm, and I was able to comprehend the message. I think the new technology is beyond cool, and I’ve already begun to imagine how many more books I’ll be able to read when Spritz’s technology becomes more readily available in the future.

What about you? Does the idea of speed reading appeal to you? Or, do you prefer to “take your own sweet time” when reading books? Are you ready to abandon traditional reading and give “spritzing” a try?

Over the weekend, my childhood fantasy resurfaced, as I made my way up Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, WY. I didn’t tackle the mountain’s slopes with skis. Instead, I wore snowshoes. But, as I walked upward on the pristine, white snow beneath a gorgeous blue sky, I remembered my childhood dream. I even said to another person who was climbing beside me, “When I was young, I thought I wanted to be a cross-country skier.”

After making the comment, I laughed out loud, but, I admit that a small part of me also felt sad in that moment, realizing that a childhood dream of mine had not been fulfilled at 30+ years out from its inception.

After leaving the mountain, though, my smile returned, because I realized that I had accomplished something that I’d never even dreamt of in snowshoe climbing. My inaugural snowshoe climb on Snow King Mountain was a fantastic, unforgettable experience. I will never forget how it felt and how “the view from the top” looked.

I’m sharing a picture that I snapped while on Snow King Mountain looking down at the town of Jackson, WY. I hope the picture and this post will remind you that God sometimes answers our dreams with unimagined, unexpected, yet, equally marvelous realities.

Do you agree? What have been the most dramatic, transformative moments in your life so far, and, where did those moments occur? Did you experience drama in private or in public? On the job or on a sports field? Alone or accompanied by others? In expected fashion or by surprise? And, have the most dramatic moments of your life filled you with joy or angst?

One of the most dramatic moments of my life filled me with love. I was not alone but was with two other people. I remember standing in the baptismal pool as a young girl and being dunked back into the water by my pastor who then lifted me back up out of the water. I remember opening my eyes and meeting the tear-filled gaze of my mother, who stood just a few feet away, in front of me on the steps leading into the pool. No words were spoken between my mother and me in that most dramatic, moment – only love was shared, our love for each other and His love for us.

If it’s true that we’re limited to experiencing only three to four big dramas during one lifetime, then it’s no wonder why so many of us may turn to the movies or acting to experience a bit more.

I admit that I don’t mind a little drama in my life. What about you? Do you agree with me, or is your life filled with enough drama already? Have you been humming Mary J’s tune, “No More Drama,” as you’ve been reading this post?

In his book, Catching the Big Fish, David Lynch includes a chapter on the topic of suffering and states, “It’s common sense: The more the artist is suffering, the less creative he is going to be. It’s less likely that he is going to enjoy his work and less likely that he will be able to do really good work.”

Lynch goes on to state: “Right here people might bring up Vincent Van Gogh as an example of a painter who did great work in spite of – or because of – his suffering. I like to think that Van Gogh would have been more prolific and even greater if he wasn’t so restricted by the things tormenting him. I don’t think it was pain that made him so great- I think his painting brought him whatever happiness he had.”

Do you agree with Lynch and think that the experience of suffering is one that can confine and hold you back from reaching your personal goals? Or, do you think that the experience of suffering actually makes one stronger and more able to succeed?

Of late, though, I’m starting to reconsider my long-held view on the role of suffering and challenge in life. I’m beginning to wonder whether internal strength is only tested through suffering rather than strengthened by it.

What do you think? Have the challenges that you’ve faced in your life made you stronger or weaker as an individual?

Since life is full of challenges, all of us will never really know how successful or unsuccessful we might be without them, but it’s interesting to ponder how we might fare in life without suffering.

For example: Who would Nelson Mandela have been had he never faced apartheid and been wrongfully imprisoned? Who would Rosa Parks have been had she never faced racial segregation and been asked to give up her bus seat that day in Alabama? Who would Beethoven have been had he never lost his hearing?

Like Lynch, I’d like to think that Mandela, Parks, and Beethoven would have been just as great, if not greater, as individuals had they never faced those famous challenges.

Yes, I’m beginning to think that challenges don’t serve to make us stronger but, instead, like a mirror, reflect our true selves, as strong or weak as we may be.

According to the article, a bath concierge is “on call to present you with an extensive selection of therapeutic bath salts and foaming bath oils,” or, “to draw your bath with rose petals, at your desired temperature.”

The services of a bath concierge as described in the article seem a bit extravagant, n’est pas?

According to Miriam-Webster online, the first definition of extravagance is “the quality or fact of being free or wasteful in the expenditure of money.” The second definition of the word is “an instance of spending money or resources without care or restraint.”

Extravagance. What ideas first come to mind when you hear (or read) the word? How does it make you feel? I’d like to ask a few questions about the role that extravagance has played in your life to date:

How do define extravagance, and what are the extravagant things that you have experienced in life?

Do you think that extravagance and financial wealth are mutually exclusive terms or two things that must coexist?

Do you think that extravagance and pretentiousness go hand-in-hand?

Do you think extravagance gets exacerbated in cloistered environments?

Can you experience extravagant moments while in the great outdoors?

Do you crave more extravagance in your life, or could you care less?

Have you ever created an extravagant experience for someone, and, if so, what was the experience like?

How many extravagant people have you personally known in your life, and were they forgettable or unforgettable? Admirable or deplorable?

When I hear or read the words “extravagance” or “extravagant,” I’m generally amused rather than appalled. Also, as a female, I certainly can’t ignore the plethora of marketing messages from retail marketers who often pitch their beauty products, jewelry, shoes and accessories as “extravagant” (ex. check out this Smoky Extravagant mascara and this Extravagant Berry lipstick).

I like the “The Purloined Letter” tale, because of one of its themes: much can be hidden within the obvious.

Often we can look past things that lie, like the purloined letter that Poe wrote about, right in front of us, within our plain sight. As Kubrick may have said, so many of us find ourselves walking through life with “eyes wide shut.”

Poe’s “The Purloined Letter” reminds us to look beyond the surface of our realities and to reexamine our perspectives and ourselves.

That reminder still resonates and is being perpetuated by authors today. For example, American actress Drew Barrymore’s new book of personal photographs, “Find it in Everything,” reveals how she was able to find heart-shaped objects and patterns hidden within unexpected places and reminds us to look beyond the obvious to find beautiful, previously-hidden things.

Have you ever found something hidden “right before your very eyes” like Poe’s purloined letter? Maybe a better question is: are you looking?

Besides Poe, Kubrick and Barrymore, another lad named Shakespeare also warned: “Our very eyes are sometimes like our judgements, blind.”

To end this post, I won’t be nosy and ask, “Who are you seeing these days?” Rather, I’ll ask, “What are you seeing these days?”

Since I was a young girl, I have found Russian Matyoshka dolls to be fascinating. I even have a Santa Claus version of a Matyoshka doll that I display annually at home during the Christmas holidays.

The concept that the dolls promote – the idea that there is something more inside each of us that may not be so obvious at a surface level – has always resonated with me.

For example, over the years, I’ve often been attracted to stories about individuals who take journeys of self-discovery, self-appointed or otherwise. Many of my favorite books and movies feature protagonists and central characters who discover previously hidden truths about themselves.

Often, the protagonists discover positive character traits, such as courage and fortitude. Sometimes, though, the protagonists uncover less attractive personal traits and truths. From my perspective, each instance of self-discovery is equally compelling.

How often do you take the time to look within to find aspects of yourself that may be hidden to the world? Do you think that conducting a “strip search of the internal you” is warranted? Or, would you prefer to leave those aspects of you that lie beneath the surface of your daily interactions with the world hidden?

There are those who prefer to turn their individual focus away from self and towards others on the path to self-discovery. Mahatma Gandhi was one of those individuals and famously stated:

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

I do strive to serve others but, when it comes to discovering more about “what makes me tick,” I think turning my focus inward from time to time isn’t a bad thing. And, like a child who is examining a Matyoshka doll for the first time, I am often surprised by what I learn when I seek to discover more about who I am.

As I watched Underwood stare straight into the camera as she walked towards the alter in the famous wedding scene, I commented to my husband (who never saw Underwood’s debut audition on the American Idol TV program), “my, how far she has come.”

As I continued to watch the performance, I was reminded of how far I’ve journeyed in my life, since the days of my childhood, when my identical twin sister and I shared the role of Marta von Trapp in the former Raleigh Village Dinner Theatre’s “The Sound of Music” reappraisal.

Hearing the words and music of the play, I was carried back in time. I remembered standing on stage as Marta and singing, “So long, farewell Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight. I hate to go and leave this pretty sight.” I recalled the thrill of performing live on stage, the audiences’ claps and learning the true story of the Von Trapp Family singers.

Have you ever acted on a stage or other theatrical venue? It’s a strange phenomenon to act and “become another person,” if only for a few hours.

Maybe it was because of my age at the time that I performed the role of Marta, but, somehow I still feel closely connected to the story of the von Trapps. I still am connected to their story, because their story is a part of my youth and, thus, is a part of my life story.

As an adult, I now understand more clearly some of the messages that the musical offers. For example, I now understand the power of choice in our lives, and I more clearly see that the character of Maria must decide how and where she’ll spend her love, a decision that will equate to how she will spend her lifetime.

Maria doesn’t choose the Abbey but, instead, chooses the Captain and the kids. She chooses to make her dream a reality, and, in doing so, she must give that dream, “all the love she can give,” because the reality of life is the fact that life is full of mountains that must be climbed.

The famous “Climb Ever Mountain” tune that Audra McDonald sang so beautifully the other night on NBC calls out to each of us, “like a lark that is learning to sing,” sounding forth these important questions for us to consider:

Over which mountains are you heading?

Which dreams of yours will you hold on to and follow to fruition and reality?

How are you spending your love?

How are you spending your life?

Unsure of the answers? That’s ok, but, if she were a real person, I think Maria would advise:

I’ve only traveled to California two times, and both treks were business trips. Back in ’98, while working for IBM, I attended the IBM Business Partner Executive (BPEC) conference event that was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Years later, while working for Cardinal Health, I traveled to San Diego to attend a marketing team meeting.

Though I’ve never physically visited Los Angeles or Hollywood, like so many others here in the U.S. and around the world, I certainly have, as singer-songwriter James Taylor might say, “been going to California in my mind” for many years.

What is it about California? It seems to be a golden land, n’est pas? Related, like the early diggers in the 1800s who were addicted to the pursuit of finding gold “in them thar hills,” so many of us find ourselves spellbound by the romantic idea of California as a place where potential gets fulfilled, where dreams come true, where beaches never erode and where stars rise to blinding heights in the sky.

Speaking of stars…when I think of Hollywood and its movie stars, I often think of golden girls and golden boys – those quintessential, California “golden ones.”

Today, my mind first thinks of a different golden boy, Paul. Like a streak of gold, Paul Walker’s star brilliantly shone until it faded on a Saturday afternoon, yesterday in Southern California. Like Jayne and James before him, Paul’s untimely death via car accident sounded the mortal bell loudly again for all of us, reminding us that our time is fleeting and that we shouldn’t waste our moments.

Yes, our own moments, our own minutes are more golden than any promise that the mystique of California may hold. What are you doing with yours?

Now is your time to act and make a difference. Right now is your golden opportunity. As Longfellow so eloquently stated in his poem, A Psalm of Life:

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,And our hearts, though stout and brave,Still, like muffled drums, are beatingFuneral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,In the bivouac of Life,Be not like dumb, driven cattle!Be a hero in the strife!

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Hi! I'm blog author Ruth Dobson-Torres, and I'd like to thank you for taking time out of your busy day to visit the MySheCave.com blog site. I hope you find the posts fun, informative, and, most of all, an uplifting reminder that every woman deserves her own SheCave!

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